Dawn Gun

Not too long ago, we met up with Harlem raised, Los Angeles based emcee Dawn Gun who shared her gripping views on challenges within womanhood, the experience of making her new album La Pistola, which is available worldwide, and her proposition for fellow female emcees to join her label, Pretty Ill Entertainment. Inspired by previous mic wreckers such as Salt & Pepper, Queen Latifah and Eric B. & Rakim, and being compared to one of Hip-Hop’s most consistent emcees Nas, Dawn Gun strikes for her own sound while remembering those who passed on the torch before hand. Coming together with LexZyne Productions on a collaborated track called “Body Bag” with her sister Brandi Kane from their crew “(Sis)tem”, and “One 212? produced by XL Productionz where she sheds a flavorant 80's flow with style to match.

She also runs an online vintage boutique called La Pistola Vintage which is a spin-off to her raps. Having vivid reminiscence of her Latin childhood, Gun explains why she’s the trigger and the shooter.

BTS: Dawn Gun
Where did the name Dawn Gun come from?

Dawn Gun was actually an alias that I had. My last name is kinda mobbish. A friend of mine named me. I was previously releasing music under the moniker “Mis.Led!” and when I got my distribution deal with INgrooves-Fontana. I had some legal issues with the name, so I wound up just going with Dawn Gun.
That’s what it is. Nice. So, you’re a mother now?

I am. Yes.
Would being a mother ever be a conflict, when it comes to your music?

Being a mom is awesome. I actually have two very beautiful, gorgeous children and it’s not really a conflict with my music. My music is pretty forthright and it might be a little grimy and a little explicit for them to listen to, but it doesn’t conflict with how I raise them or anything like that. And as far as me being able to pursue what it is that I’m doing musically, I have a really supportive family and it’s not a problem for my kids to be with my family while I have to do a show or if I need time to write a song or focus in the studio, or something like that. So it’s been a blessing. They actually inspire me to continue what I’m doing.
And would you ever change your style of music for your daughter?

Would I change my style of music for her? If she sat down and told me that there was something that she wanted me to do or something that she wanted to talk about I think I will definitely take it into consideration. But I don’t know about changing. Changing completely? I don’t know. It would have to be a really good reason, I think. She’ll have to talk to mommy about that.
Would you ever think about compromising with her?

Yeah. I mean I don’t really think my music is that bad to where she would want me to change, you know? Maybe she’d ask me to not curse so much. I would understand that. But I think she’ll pretty much rock with me. You know, if she had an issue with it, then we’ll talk about it.
?
What is your first memory of music?

Oh wow! My first memory of music has gotta be in my grandmother’s house. I was raised in a Puerto Rican home with my grandmother. It was a lot of merengue, a lot of salsa going on and she was always cooking up Spanish food. So, I remember being in the kitchen and her putting on a real old school box-like radio. Like, a real old school radio and just always hearing Spanish music blasting through the speakers in the kitchen while she was cooking. I can smell the food now! So yeah, that’s my first memory of music. Me and Hip-Hop? My father really introduced me to Hip-Hop, and he had all the fresh Hip-Hop before anybody else did. I was constantly asking him, ‘What is that? Who is that? Where did you get this from?’ And he’d be like, ‘Just follow me kid.’ He was a big Hip-Hop influence on me, but musically speaking, I think I remember just being in my grandmother’s kitchen always hearing: (Claps rhythm) you know? It was awesome. It was fun.
Do you incorporate your Puerto Rican culture into your music often?

Yes! Well, my album is called La Pistola, which I think is an ode to my name and also an ode to my Puerto Rican roots. With the album, it’s really not a traditional Hip-Hop album. It’s really musical. It’s a musical album and there are some Spanish influences on some of the tracks, [there] and in the style of that, I chose to write and spit the verses too. So yeah, it’s not completely drowned in like, ‘Oh my God, it’s soaked in arroz con pollo’ but it’s there and you can tell that there’s something Latin about that — that sound.
Right, the vibe, I like that. I like that, and who would you say influence you the most as an artist?

Old School Hip-Hop really influenced me and it does continue to influence me today, because it was so raw and so real and it talked about things that were happening and not just dreams — what you want — and what you wish for and what could be. But the delivery was so raw and so real that it stayed with me and the love that I have - Grungecake Magazine

Not too long ago, we met up with Harlem raised, Los Angeles based emcee Dawn Gun who shared her gripping views on challenges within womanhood, the experience of making her new album La Pistola, which is available worldwide, and her proposition for fellow female emcees to join her label, Pretty Ill Entertainment. Inspired by previous mic wreckers such as Salt & Pepper, Queen Latifah and Eric B. & Rakim, and being compared to one of Hip-Hop’s most consistent emcees Nas, Dawn Gun strikes for her own sound while remembering those who passed on the torch before hand. Coming together with LexZyne Productions on a collaborated track called “Body Bag” with her sister Brandi Kane from their crew “(Sis)tem”, and “One 212? produced by XL Productionz where she sheds a flavorant 80's flow with style to match.

She also runs an online vintage boutique called La Pistola Vintage which is a spin-off to her raps. Having vivid reminiscence of her Latin childhood, Gun explains why she’s the trigger and the shooter.

BTS: Dawn Gun
Where did the name Dawn Gun come from?

Dawn Gun was actually an alias that I had. My last name is kinda mobbish. A friend of mine named me. I was previously releasing music under the moniker “Mis.Led!” and when I got my distribution deal with INgrooves-Fontana. I had some legal issues with the name, so I wound up just going with Dawn Gun.
That’s what it is. Nice. So, you’re a mother now?

I am. Yes.
Would being a mother ever be a conflict, when it comes to your music?

Being a mom is awesome. I actually have two very beautiful, gorgeous children and it’s not really a conflict with my music. My music is pretty forthright and it might be a little grimy and a little explicit for them to listen to, but it doesn’t conflict with how I raise them or anything like that. And as far as me being able to pursue what it is that I’m doing musically, I have a really supportive family and it’s not a problem for my kids to be with my family while I have to do a show or if I need time to write a song or focus in the studio, or something like that. So it’s been a blessing. They actually inspire me to continue what I’m doing.
And would you ever change your style of music for your daughter?

Would I change my style of music for her? If she sat down and told me that there was something that she wanted me to do or something that she wanted to talk about I think I will definitely take it into consideration. But I don’t know about changing. Changing completely? I don’t know. It would have to be a really good reason, I think. She’ll have to talk to mommy about that.
Would you ever think about compromising with her?

Yeah. I mean I don’t really think my music is that bad to where she would want me to change, you know? Maybe she’d ask me to not curse so much. I would understand that. But I think she’ll pretty much rock with me. You know, if she had an issue with it, then we’ll talk about it.
?
What is your first memory of music?

Oh wow! My first memory of music has gotta be in my grandmother’s house. I was raised in a Puerto Rican home with my grandmother. It was a lot of merengue, a lot of salsa going on and she was always cooking up Spanish food. So, I remember being in the kitchen and her putting on a real old school box-like radio. Like, a real old school radio and just always hearing Spanish music blasting through the speakers in the kitchen while she was cooking. I can smell the food now! So yeah, that’s my first memory of music. Me and Hip-Hop? My father really introduced me to Hip-Hop, and he had all the fresh Hip-Hop before anybody else did. I was constantly asking him, ‘What is that? Who is that? Where did you get this from?’ And he’d be like, ‘Just follow me kid.’ He was a big Hip-Hop influence on me, but musically speaking, I think I remember just being in my grandmother’s kitchen always hearing: (Claps rhythm) you know? It was awesome. It was fun.
Do you incorporate your Puerto Rican culture into your music often?

Yes! Well, my album is called La Pistola, which I think is an ode to my name and also an ode to my Puerto Rican roots. With the album, it’s really not a traditional Hip-Hop album. It’s really musical. It’s a musical album and there are some Spanish influences on some of the tracks, [there] and in the style of that, I chose to write and spit the verses too. So yeah, it’s not completely drowned in like, ‘Oh my God, it’s soaked in arroz con pollo’ but it’s there and you can tell that there’s something Latin about that — that sound.
Right, the vibe, I like that. I like that, and who would you say influence you the most as an artist?

Old School Hip-Hop really influenced me and it does continue to influence me today, because it was so raw and so real and it talked about things that were happening and not just dreams — what you want — and what you wish for and what could be. But the delivery was so raw and so real that it stayed with me and the love that I have - Grungecake Magazine

http://www.calameo.com/read/002743907eaacb48b303b - In The World of VA Streetz Magazine